I'll try to update this as needed, please submit pics or write ups if you have them to help out other members.

Table of contents:
c5 audio faq

Where can i find out tech. info about bose wiring?
Why are my speakers 'buzzing?
Can I add an ipod or other aux device to my stock head unit?
How do I add a power antenna to my z06?
How do i disassemble my dash board and instrument cluster?
Can I add an aftermarket cd changer to my stock system?
Can I use my oem cd changer with an aftermarket head unit?
I just purchased a cd changer and it's skippy like crazy, what's wrong?
How Can I get better sound while keeping the bose head unit?
What size speakers will fit in the doors if i remove the bose speakers?
Where can I mount the tweeters?
What Size speakers will fit in the rear location?
I added an aftermarket Headunit but it won't turn on, what do i do now?
Where do I mount my xm or gps antenna?
I have a navigation h/u that has to connect to a speed sensor wire, where is it?
Where is the best place to ground my amplifier?
My headlights dim every time there is a loud bass hit, how can i fix that?
What are the big 3 and how do i upgrade them?
How do i mount an amplifier?
How do i run a power wire through the firewall?
How can I add xm to my stock stereo? (post #2)
How can I add a switch to retract my antenna?
How do I get the acc power for my h/u?
Where can I find plans to build my own sub box?

general car audio faq

I have 4 speaker terminals on my sub...what gives?
Do I need rear speakers?
Where can i find more info about general car audio? (http://www.the12volt.com)

Where can i find out tech. info about bose wiring?bose wiring tipsWhy are my speakers 'buzzing'?
Most common cause of this is the little bose emblem on the door has
rattled lose.

Can I add an ipod or other aux device to my stock head unit?
Yes, if you don't have a cd changer you can purchase an ipod interface from companies such as pac-audio (ipod2car). If you have a cd changer and don't want to toss it aside, powerdoc has figured out a cool way to keep the cd changer while integrating an aux input: http://www.pqtsi.com/sedona/vetmp3.pdf

I just purchased a cd changer and it's skippy like crazy, what's wrong?
Oem changers may have been shipped with 'shims' that don't allow the dampening mechanism to function properly. These shims should be little white plastic tabs on the cartridge mechanism, these should just slip out. If you have an aftermarket unit you will have to find the mounting position selector switch. Make sure it is set for the appropriate position (vertical or horizontal)

How Can I get better sound while keeping the bose head unit?
Upgrade speakers
The easiest way to get better sound from the stock head unit is to simply swap out the in door 'twiddlers' with after market 3.5” speakers. You also have the option of swapping out the rear speakers with 5.25” speakers for the frc/z06 and convertables, and a 6.5" speaker for the coupes.

Adding an amplifier
To add a subwoofer or to give your aftermarket speakers more power you will need an aftermarket amplifier. Please note you will not be able to power the stock bose speakers with an aftermarket amplifier. If you are keeping the stock head unit you will need a bose interface (please note: When tapping into the stock wiring, the low frequencies for bass ARE NOT present at the twiddlers. The 8" sub in the doors or behind the h/u must be tapped when adding a sub). A popular model for the c5's are the 'soundgate' adapters or pac-audio interfaces. This will allow you to retain the stock headunit and all of the stock features associated with the head unit such as retained accessory power and automatic volume compensation even the stock speakers if you only wish to only add a subwoofer. The bose interface will give you pre-amp level outputs that you can run to the rca jacks of your amplifier.

What size speakers will fit in the doors if i remove the bose speakers?
You can fit practically any size speaker; short of subwoofers, in the doors of a c5. You will need to purchase or build a mounting plate but you will be able to fit a full 3-way component system in the stock location.

Where can I mount the tweeters?
The three most common places to mount the tweeters for component speaker systems in the c5 would be either in the stock location (between the 6.5” and the 4” if you have a 3 way system), behind the door pulls (you'll notice a flat-ish plastic piece behind the little lever you pull to open the door) or lastly on th surface of the doors themselves. The last is the most intrusive (but maybe the best) and there isn't any easy way to go back to stock, short of replacing the door panels themselves. There have also been reports of people that have tweeters mounted in the corners of the windshield vent on the dash. The best way to figure out what sounds best to you is to take some of that blue tack putty and try out every location.

What Size speakers will fit in the rear location.
You can fit 5.25” speakers in the rear of the c5 frc or vert and 6.5" for the coupe.

I added an aftermarket Headunit but it won't turn on, what do i do now?
When the bose head unit is removed from the wire harness the accessories power lead is disconnected by the pcm. The acc wire is what 'tells' your headunit to turn on so you'll have to tap into some other source for this. The easiest place to tap this lead from is fuse number 22 under the passenger floor board.

Where do I mount my xm or gps antenna?
A popular place to mount the antennas is under the bumper skin right behind one of the taillights. Another place (where i mounted mine) was under the rear fender on the inside of the car. This will require no drilling, just mount with two face tape or hook and loop tape.

I have a navigation h/u that has to connect to a speed sensor wire, where is it?
You will have to tap into the harness on the instrument cluster. You need to find the Green/white (A7-circuit 817) with a tan/white (A6-circuit 33) above it and a black (A8-circuit 150 ) below it..The other green/white (A10-circuit 357) oil temp has a blank and a gray on each side.

Where is the best place to ground my amplifier?
you can ground your amp to a screw/bolt that holds the rear middle compartment to the frame. You can also ground it to the seat bolt or if you have a vert you can mount it to the metal that is under the waterfall.

My headlights dim every time there is a loud bass hit, how can i fix that?
The c5's alternator is very strong and should be able to easily power one or two good sized amplifiers. Some forum members have 2000 watt (rms) systems running strongly off the stock alternator. If you have a mega system then you may need to get a stronger alternator. But chances are this isn't your problem. First thing to check is your ground. Make sure that the area has a clean contacts. Then make sure you have a large enough power and ground wire. If you skimped on this, time to replace it with some heavier gauge. If this isn't the problem then you should consider upgrading the 'big 3' if you haven't already.

How do I mount an amplifier?
One think you have to worry about when mounting equipment is hitting vital parts like the gas tank. To get around this the easiest way to mount an amplifier or like equipment is to mount a piece of mdf wood to the body of the car (under the oem carpet) with some silicone sealant/caulking. This is a semi-perminant solution that will allow you to remove the piece further down the road if you choose too, while granting you the piece of mind that you will not be drilling into your car. After the silicone has dried you can reinstall the oem carpet and then drill into the newly secured mounting plate.

How do i run a power wire through the firewall? from forum member 'vate'
the power cable will slide right alongside the main harness where it passes through the firewall.

First remove the battery. You will see a bundle of wires going through a flexible rubber grommet in the firewall.

Remove the electrical tape around these wires.

Your power cable should be plenty stiff to push the wire through, provided you spray it with some WD-40 first.

Once you get it through, go inside the car, under the passenger side footwell, and find the wire. A bright color like the red I used works well.

Here are pictures:

This shows the battery and tape removed, and the red power wire inserted:

This shows a longer view: I have tie-strapped the power wire, and retaped the wires going through the grommet:

How can i add a switch to retract my antenna? (from z06vette forum)
I added a 12vdc rocker switch with a lamp at the console to: 1. Normally on, this will allow the antenna to rise and fall with the radio switch even when only playing CDs. 2. Off with this switch and the radio switch(green wire which goes throught the switch) will not allow the antenna to rise...switch off). This allows the CD player to be used and the antenna to be down. Without the switch, the antenna is always up even when playing the CD only. The switch is Radio Shack no. 275-712 Lighted SPST Rocker Switch... ~$3.00 I spliced into the three wires going to the antenna on the passenger side, and ran three wires to the switch: 1, from the accessory (green or pink wire) to the power lead on switch; 2, load the wire going back to the three wire green or pink wire that was cut; and 3, the black or ground wire for the lamp obtained by splicing into the black ground wire in the three wire going to the antenna. Whew, it took a while to find the green/pink wire needed.

How do I get the acc power for my h/u?
if you look in the passenger footwell, pull out the cover and look in the top left corner. There will be a small plug with three wires (orange, yellow, & black) that are just taped up. Check out this schematic to see which fuses they use, but the yellow wire is the +12V switched, and that I am sure of.

or you can use fuse 22

Where can I find plans to build my own sub box?sub box plans
---------------------------------

general car audio faq

I have 4 speaker terminals on my sub...what gives?
This is called a dual voice coil sub (dvc) these subs configurations are very popular due to their flexibility in multi sub set ups. So how do you wire them up? Well you have to first find out what impedance (measured in 'ohms') your amp is stable to (note: the minimum impedance of a bridged 'channel' is usually double that of the minimum impedance of the separate stereo channels.
Most dvc subs are either 2 ohm per voice coil or 4 ohm per voice coil. Now you have three options to wire the two voice coils; in series, in parallel or to separate channels.
SERIES: This will 'add' the impedance of each voice coil. So if you have two 2 ohm voice coils wired in series it will equal a 4 ohm load. To wire them in series you'll take one of the positive speaker terminals on one of the voice coils and wire it to the negative terminal on the remaining voice coil. That will leave you with two 'open' terminals: a positive and a negative, wire them to the respective terminals on the amplifier.
PARALLEL: To figure out the final impedance of the speaker you will take the impedance value (2 ohms) and divide it by the number of voice coils (2). so if you have two 2 ohm voice coils wired in parallel you'll have a speaker with a final impedance of 1 ohm. This will cause most of the current amplifiers to go into protection mode and shut off when there is a strong bass hit. To wire the speaker in in parallel connect all the positive terminal to the positive terminal on the amplifier and likewise with the negative.

For an example, My 3-channel Xtant amplifier is stable to 2 ohms on channel 3. My sub is a dvc 4-ohm sub that i wired into a parallel to appear to the amp as a 2 ohm sub. (which my owners manual says is ok/recommended)

Do I need rear speakers?
This is mostly a personal preference thing. The reasons why some people prefer only having front speakers is to achieve a particular soundstage. When you are sitting in the drivers seat and you close your eyes; on a properly set up front speaker system, you should be able to pick out each instruments location. When you add rear speakers this will pull your attention behind your head. Some people prefer this as they feel they are 'immersed' in the music. The final choice is up to you.

1. Prep-Work: Remove passenger side floor mat and passenger side fuse panel cover. Remove passenger side plastic threshold (plastic part that covers the edge of the carpet at the door). Remove passenger side kick panel. Remove ash tray. All of this is just pulled off, no tools necessary.
2. Mount antenna at rear of car. Because the Corvette is fiberglass, it is not necessary to have it mounted on the outside of the vehicle. A couple of good places to mount it: Behind the taillights on the passenger side, Inner fender wheel well behind carpet (I chose this place to mount with double sided tape). After a suitable location is decided on, mount antenna and run antenna wire up on the passenger side, hiding the wiring as you go. Bring it up to the passenger side kick panel.
3. Wiring Harness: Use the auxiliary power source located in the passenger side fuse panel area to get power and ground. Route harness over to passenger side kick panel.
4. Controller: You do not need to remove the center console trim panel to install. Simply fish wire down through rear of ash tray location where you can see light. When you can grab the wire, pull through, leaving a little slack. Using Velcro included with XM Commander, mount controller in the upper area. You should be able to close the outer door. Run controller wire over to passenger side kick panel.
5. CD Changer cable: At the lower right hand corner of the fuse panel area, you should see a plug that looks like one of the two plugs on the CD Changer cable (directions included with the factory harness have a picture of this area). Taped to that wire or taped right near it is another plug that looks like the second plug on the cable. Cut the tape and plug both harnesses into the CD Changer harness. Route CD Changer harness under carpet at passenger side foot well (I used a zigzag pattern so it laid flat under the carpet. Leave enough to bring wire harness up passenger side kick panel.
6. XM Commander Control Box: Plug in the power wire harness, antenna, controller harness and RCA cables into control box. Put double sided tape on back of control box and find a suitable area up on the passenger side kick panel area. You may want to pull the lower dash trim loose to gain more access.
7. AUX Input Connector: Plug RCA cable and CD Changer harness to AUX Input Connector. Place AUX Input Connector up near XM Commander Control Box.
8. Reinstall trim that was removed during installation.
9. Test: Turn on car and turn on XM Commander. Press CD button on deck twice to access CD Changer. You should hear their test broadcast. If you don’t, go back to AUX adaptor and unplug CD Changer harness and plug back in.
10. Call XM Radio to sign up for service.
11. Enjoy cruising with your new XM Commander!

here is a list of supplies:
-2-part metal epoxy (the kind that comes in the syringe tube from home depot) EDIT: INSTEAD OF EPOXY use an abs sludge made from melted abs (black plastic drainage pipe) by desolving it in acetone.
-high tack masking tape (neon green 3m stuff from home depot)
-rage gold (prefered), the epoxy mentioned above with 'micro ballons' additive (found in r/c plane hobby shops) or bondo,
-spot filler/glaze
-paint thinner/mineral spirits
-dremel or some cutting tool
-sand paper of assorted grits

first cut the bar out but cut notches into the bezel, dont cut the bar off straight. to make this clearer; the bar should look like it has little spatualas on each end. This will introduce two notches in the sides of the bezel but those will be easily molded/patched.

here is what your surround should look like after that step:

actually if i were to do it again i'd make those notches a bit bigger so i didn't have to blend the corners of the bar as much.

the next step will be to figure out where you want the bar to go. mark it off and then cut notches into the side that are just a little bigger then the 'spatulas' on the divider bar. get some tape and tape the bar into place; from the front side, covering any gaps. next tape the front side over the notches that you had created where the bar used to be .from the back side apply liberal amounts of epoxy making sure that it doesn't run over to the front side. (This is not the place to skimp. if you don't make a solid bond here it will flex and crack the filler used in the next step.) The epoxy should be used to secure the bar into place as well as fill the holes and gaps. If you would feel more confortable you could glue a filler piece to bridge the wide gap from where the bar used to be (i would use some abs plastic or even 1/8" birch ply wood)

--this part only applys to lcd screen installs--
-- you may want to skip this if you are installing a h/u--
if you are installing a lcd monitor and no h/u like me you may want to recess the screen a bit to help with glare. to do this buy some 1/8" birch ply wood and create an extension:
glue up the sides with epoxy then glue the extensioni to the radio surround. not picture here is the frame that i i cut to cover up the lcd screen's case and buttons. if you don't mind voiding the warranty i would suggest taking the lcd screen out of the frame and actually molding the case into your extension. this will merit the cleanest look.
--end--

let the epoxy cure then remove the tape.

you'll notice it's looking pretty good at this stage but there are some ridges and valleys. First knock down any ridges with some coarse sand paper (~100 grit). now mix up your filler (rage gold, bondo, micro-ballons/epoxy mix) and apply it to the front. take some care when applying it so that there will be less sanding but don't be too **** about it. I found that for some of the curves my finger was the best applicator but i'm not sure how safe it is to do that so do this at your own risk.

let the filler cure then sand it smooth. now take the piece and rinse it off with paint thinner/mineral spirits. while it's wet you will be able to see if there are any imperfections in your piece...there will be... you may have to add some more filler and resand untill you get the desired result. Now you may have added filler 3 or 4 times and are pretty happy with the results but you notice little pin-holes or maybe a blemish here or there. take the spot glaze and put a skim coat over the piece
this stuff is meant to only fill small holes, it sands really easily. Now rinse with paint thinner and if you're happy you can now prime and paint (or have it sent out to leather magic to get retextured to match the stock texture like i did).
here is a picture of the final result

one side not is the use of the epoxy, though this is solid it is not the ultimate bond. since the radio surround is abs plastic you have the option to 'weld' the plastic. you could do this by melting some abs filings in acetone and then using that past to 'weld' everything together. I have not done this myself but if you need some direction you may want to read this thread: http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=45050

EDIT: i have used the abs welding method and it is by far the best mehtod i've used.

and a second version from lv_2_xlr8

Quote:

I have attached some photos to help you modify your Corvette radio surround
and also show you what's involved in mounting the new head unit where the
1.5 DIN head unit used to mount. I know you have probably seen some of these
photos before, but I have added some instructions that may help you. As
always, feel free to ask questions if you need clarification on anything.

In this first photo you can see where I made the cuts and how I decided on
how far to move the bars down. I used the navigation bezel as a guide. Also,
you can see where I used a piece of stiff cardboard to maintain the
alignment plane from the top of the surround to the sides of the ashtray
opening.

In this shot, you can see how I blended everything together. Note the
masking tape I used to segregate the work area from the area to remain with
the virgin finish. I did this to protect everything that I didn't want to
mar or inadvertently scratch. Be sure to minimize the amount of bondo you
use to fill in the voids. Bondo expands at a different rate than ABS and you
don't want any cracks or bulges. You will be much better off using ABS
cement to fill all voids.

Here is what your finished bezel should look like. If you took your time and
made sure to use the cardboard as a guide, it will go back in and align
perfectly with the HVAC control, after it is lowered.

Note how closely the finish matches the original finish on the original
surround in this side by side comparison. I used SEM products for the finish
work. SEM #39853 Texture Coating and SEM #13023 Low Luster Clear. Experiment
with the Texture coating on a scrap piece first. Those who think you can't
match the factory texture didn't take the time to experiment with
application distances and the heaviness of the application. The texture
coating will leave a nice gloss free finish, but I chose to seal the decals
and textured finish with the Low Luster Clear.

Here you can see how I removed the upper radio support and used it to
support the new head unit. I simply cut the rivets, removed the support,
turned it upside down and fastened it back with sheet metal screws. It will
be just the right height to support your new head unit. You will also have
to remove a plastic clip that is located behind the radio in the upper right
corner on the duct. You don't need it and it will interfer with the new head
unit going back far enough to allign with the surround. The lower support
was removed and discarded.

This shot shows the new head unit fastened to the mounting rack. Note the L
brackets I fabricated to fasten the head unit into position. Be sure to use
the pins to support the weight of the unit and not just the screws. If you
look closely, you can see the pin locations where they peek through the
brackets. Take the extra time to make sure the unit is perfectly level, or
it will not line up correctly with the console surround.

Here's the finished unit with the bezel back in place and everything
buttoned up. Some guys are using the ashtray area to mount gauges or
switches, but that's your call. I simply wanted to add the the factory look
by adding some decals.

As far as the wiring goes, don't worry too much. It's a piece of cake. If
you plan on using the stock BOSE speakers, as I did, be sure you get the
adapter to go from an after market head unit to the pre-amped Bose speakers.
Once you get the adapter, you'll see it's basically plug and play. You'll
have to tie into your VSS wire and back up lights for the rearview camera,
but that's about it. I have the rearview camera, XM radio and 12 CD changer
in mine. Don't let it intimidate you. I'll also help you through the wiring
if you need it when you get that far.

Good luck with the project and I hope this helps you with your installation.

I'm posting this in order to help first timers, and maybe clear up some of the fog around sound deadening in general.

First, I want to make clear the differences between damping material and sound barrier material.

A quick definition:

Damping material reduces vibration on panels where it is applied. A sound barrier material acts to reduce outside noise.

What is damping?

The main idea behind damping a panel is to reduce its tendency to vibrate. A panel may vibrate and create noise, or it may result in distortion of sound. ie: If the panel with the speaker installed vibrates.

How does it work?

How damping works is simple - The more mass a panel has, the less likely it is to vibrate. Also, this lowers the resonant frequency. The more mass, the better.

Why do it?

This can greatly reduce the possibility of a panel buzzing. Particularly, door panels. Also, if a car's body panel is over your exhaust system, it could be resonating and creating interior noise. The less of your car flexing and vibrating when your sound system is playing, the better. Midbass can be increased with door applications.

Where to do it?

There is one place it should always be done: The door panel. Particularly behind the speaker, and on the surface of the panel. Aside from that: Anywhere that resonates. Tap your panels fairly hard. If they go pong! then deaden them until they go thud. If you want to save weight and money, don't bother deadening panels that already go thud. A good example in the C5 is most of the center tunnel, and the floor under the seats. I personally like to deaden the thin plastic interior panels as well. Doing this in my door panel reduced some midbass distortion I was getting.

What materials are available?

Butyl
Butyl is the best possible material for damping sheets. It's easy to cut, easy to work with. Generally does not require a heat gun, or any special considerations to install it. Butyl is also very likely to stay stuck where you put it.

Vinyl
While better than Asphalt, Vinyl still is somewhat harder to work with than butyl.

Asphalt
Asphalt is the 'old' way to do it. It's messier, can sometimes have an odor, and very possibly may lose adhesion. I would suggest steering clear of any asphalt sheets.

Liquid
Liquid has been gaining popularity, and I use it myself as a base layer. You have the advantage of being able to vary the thickness according to the shape of the panel, and you won't waste any material trying to wrap it around corners, or get it in tight spaces. The disadvantage to liquid is the time it takes to fully cure. Most take 24 hours at room temperature. And up to a week if you are like me and can't wait for summer.

What are the costs?

Cost can vary tremendously. My suggestion is to go with the thickest, cheapest, butyl mat available at the time. Right now, I believe that is Edead from Elemental Designs. Aside from that, you can get the material as cheap as $1 a square foot, $5 a square foot, and even more if you buy brands like Dynamat.

What doesn't it do?

Damping does not do much to filter out outside noise, or road noise. If you are applying damper to simply reduce road noise, you are wasting your money. And this brings us to the next half of the thread:

Killing Sound with a sound barrier

What is a sound barrier?

A type of material designed to reduce or reflect the sound that passes through it. A reduction of sound transmission.

Why do it?

You are looking to reduce road noise, or outside noise entering the car. Foam can also be used to reduce rattles, when stuffed in a rattle prone panel.

Where to do it?

The factory is pretty smart when it comes to this. Look for where they have added foam, and back it up with more foam. This foam is useful just about anywhere, but I'd start with the floorboards, over the wheel wells, and the back walls. Behind the engine (interior of course) and lastly, doors. In my install, I attached foam to the back of all plastic trim panels.

What materials are available?

Closed Cell Neoprene Foam
Available in 1/8 or 1/4 from various sound deadening suppliers. This material is very easy to work with, stretches easily, and tears when you want it to. It's somewhat compressible. The greatest advantage is that it should not mold, which is a concern with open cell foam, especially in the doors. FWIW, most factory cars use open cell foam.

Frost King
I believe Frost King is an open cell foam, and it is foil backed, and self adhesive. It is fairly easy to work with, though much more difficult than the neoprene sheets because of the foil backing. It is slightly less than 1/8" thick, and much less dense than closed cell neoprene. Frost King offers much less sound insulation than the other foam, but the foil layer does help against heat.

Composite Materials
There are a few materials available, at a much higher cost, which are gneerally very thick and are built as such: Foam - Vinyl - Foam. Or Foam - Lead - Foam. These tend to be the heaviest as well, but also the most effective.

What are the costs?

Frost King is about $1/ft^3. Neoprene is anywhere from $1-5 on up depending on thickness. RAAM Audio is the least expensive, and I would highly suggest buying 1/8 foam because of its flexibility, and then doubling up in areas where you can.

What doesn't it do?

From my basic testing (Using various materials as a sound barrier VS a speaker in a box playing pink noise, measured with my RTA) this thickness of foam does not make a massive difference. Most of the sound reduction is at frequencies over 1k. So for road noise below 1k, don't expect a big difference. This should help with tire noise fairly well though. Also, foam does not dampen a panel, please use damping under the foam in places you need to.

Hope this helps.

Weak Points in the C5

Now that I've got my Ensolite install complete, I'd like to point out a few places that will give you a nice improvement with foam. - Attach foam to the back of the B pillar trim panels. There is no factory sound insulation here. Not a lot of sound gets through here, but its right on top of your ear. One layer of 1/8 did perfectly for me.

This section will link to one-off c5 products that have gotten great reviews from forum members (if you feel something has been left out or shouldn't be here let me know and i'll modify it accordingly):

ncr dave has developed and made connections to help us out with some common adaptors and boxes. he has a great rep on the forum for quality boxes.
NCR's box's and speaker adapters:http://www.corvettecaraudio.com/
here are some h/u mounts that he can hook us up with too:

Vrum Vrum speakers adapters and H/U plates:
vrumvrum is a cf forum member that produces these high quality cnc'ed products. You'll have to send him a pm to arrange the sale:

speaker adapter: (i think he will custom cut for 3 way components as well)

h/u plate:

subthump 'stealth' boxes:
ON A PERSONAL NOTE; i had talked to the subthump people about building a modified box and he was very unhelpful. I will never give him any business, i only post his site on here to fair and give all possible options. Dave from corvette car audio was more then helpful and made a modified box for me with no questions asked.

RAP for an amp WITH the stock HU still installed:
Pull up the fuse box (two or three screws and a plastic clip), on the grey connector (C2) pins E10 and F10 (both orange, I used F10 since it was on the bottom row and easier to get at) supply 12V RAP power to the stock radio amps. Even if you have a new amp installed, the radio will still be telling RAP to stay energized. Use something like this to supply an automotive relay that you can connect to your "remote" wire on the amp.

Using this diagram as a guide:
-run the C2/F10 wire tap to pin 86
-connect pin 85 to a ground
-tap into your +12V source going to the amp and connect it to pin 87
-connect your "remote trigger" amp wire to pin 30

The amp will be powered through the wire you're using now, but it will be triggered from the relay which is pulled in whenever the radio is on (even after the car is turned off and Retained Accessory Power is still on).

Trouble getting your stock head unit to recognize GM10-Aux?

Sometimes if you loose power to the radio (dead/disconnected battery), or unplug the GM10-Aux converter, your stock head unit may not want to go to or stay on "Disc 1 Track 1" like it should. After getting some advice from other forum members I put thogther this little procedure that has worked for me every time so far:

-unplug GM10-Aux from Cor-Har changer cable
-let it sit overnight (a few hours at least)
-with car still off, plug in GM10-Aux
-let it sit for at least 10 minutes
-turn on car & radio, select changer on radio
-if it works (Disc 1 Track 1) you're done
-if it doesn't work, leave car running but turn off radio
-unplug GM10-Aux, then reconnect it
-turn on radio, it should work

Adding an additional Aux Input if you already have a CD Changer

There is a link above to a .pdf that shows how to tap into your existing CD Changer wires in order to add an additional aux audio input. That link hasn't been working lately, so click here to view that .pdf as a .jpg (of course, that assumes that 'My Corvette Photos' is working )

FYI: If you use the C2/F10 RAP powered wire from my spiel above to pull in the relay, then you won't have to worry about turning off the switch when you get out of the car in order to prevent a drain on your battery.

A POSSIBLE fix to bad radio reception with an AFTERMARKET HU in a coupe

The coupe uses an amplified module to combine the windshield and hatch antenna leads before they connect to the HU. That module is powered by both 12V and 5V from the stock HU, the 12V is constant and the 5V is only present when the radio is playing. Aftermarket radios only supply the module with the 12V signal, click here and scroll down to post #4 to see how you can once again power your antenna module amplifier.

thanks for catching that stuff mark, i added the info you posted as well, except for the pac audio stuff. Those websites change a lot and i would rather not link to them.... but they're in your post if someone wants to check it out.

I also added a section for one-off products for the c5 to make installations easier.

Scott, hi. The forum is really lucky to have members like you. You returned pm and emails from me promptly and are again adding greatly needed information for others. I wish vendors were like you (that's another story). I am upgrading my already custom system with a 3-way in the front. I love VrumVrum's work, but I can't seem to get a response from my pm's or emails. Keep doing your thing!

I have a new appreciation for those of you who have installed a new stereo system. I had the luxury of taking my car out of service for a week while my wife was out of town - here are some "lessons learned":

1. Removals: To get the head unit out, console off, and door panels off I used a Corvette forum tech tip "C5 Stock Stereo Removal", a "how to install a Hurst shifter" tip and a "how to install new door handle pulls" tip, respectively. There are a few secrets and these documents helped a TON.

2. Carpet: To get the carpet out, start at the rear and work forward. The [coupe] hatch holders on the rear shelf turn 90 degrees and come off. There is a retainer ring around the hatch holder that also needs to be removed (pry up carefully). If you have a cargo net, the net clips need to be unscrewed from the posts (studs). Most of it just pulls out. I had the console off - the passenger side pulled out easily, but there is a plastic box under the accelerator pedal that needs to come out (use a socket on an extension) and a plastic box by the dead pedal that needs to be loosened (just remove the nut and it will loosen enough). Don't worry, the carpet goes back in without too much trouble, just start at the front and work to the back.

3. Battery Power Cable: Sneak the cable (I did a 4 gauge amp and 12 gauge HU wire) around behind the 2" rubber grommet behind the battery...pretty easy. Buy some Battery Side Terminal Extensions to attach your wires to the battery. I bought two, so I can upgrade the ground and power wires (see "How to Upgrade the Big 3 Wires" in tools\tech tips\C5). The existing side terminal metal posts can be pried out of their rubber housings and the new extensions inserted in their place.

4. Head Unit: I installed an Alpine HU from Crutchfield. I tried to pick up "switched power" and "illumination" from the factory harness. Neither one worked. I blew off the illumination thing but the switched power must be present for the radio to come on (I was pretty perturbed until I figured this out). You will need to pick up switched (ignition on) power from the passenger floorboard harness or a fuse panel. My HU is 6-7/8" deep and it barely fit. Actually it didn't fit (more perturbation), but then I figured out that I had forgotten to add the spacer ring to the Crutchfield supplied mount. You have to cut out the inner pieces (used for a shaft-mount radio) and add this spacer on the outside (front) of the mount (read the directions, DOH) which then pulls the unit forward so it can fit. It is still a tight fit...and you must bend the stock radio rear support toward the front of the car. UPDATE: this still was not sufficient. Radio was too deep, so I added some spacers behind the black spacer rings to move the radio out another 1/8"...it now works fine (it was binding before and would quit playing!?!?!)

5. Door Speakers: Running the wires is easy once you know about the weather shield plug (about 3" square) that aligns with the accordion on the door. It is accessible on the driver's side, but you must pull down the dash close-out panel on the passenger's side (you had to have this off to run the battery power cable anyway).

6. Ground: I ran the ground wire from the HU and from the amp to the outside passenger seat bolt and all is well. I had to enlarge the holes in my ring connectors with a Dremel Tool to get them to fit over the studs.

7. Accessory Input: I bought an Alpine KCA-121B RCA input adapter and some 6' RCA extensions and ran them to my console. I can use this to hook up an external source to my HU (such as a portable MP3 player or, eek-gads, a cassette player). The adapter and cables were only $20 and while I had the car apart...

9. Fuses: HU had a 10 amp near the unit, I added a 20 amp at the battery end of the 12 gauge HU power wire, 100 amp at the battery for the 4 gauge wire and 2x50 at the 4 to 8 gauge fused distribution block (mounted near the right rear wheel well), and the amps have their own. There are several kinds of fuses - if you buy a fuse holder, make sure you get the right type and size fuse for it.

10. Cost: I got all of my stuff, with factory warranties, for a little over $1000. Note that $173 of that was wire, connectors, and other "miscellaneous stuff."

11. Sound Deadening: Dynamat, Brown Bread, Fatmat, Cascade...it was too costly for me, but I did the Frost King mod (about $70 for the entire car) while I was in there with the carpet removed...flame suit is on...

12. Sub Box: Yeah, it would be pretty easy to build one, but I decided not to fool with it...got an S-2 box from mike76002 on the Corvette Forum...thanks Mike !!

13. Growth Provisions: I ran wires to the back of the car from all three RCA outputs of my HU, I added the RCA aux out adapter (see above), and I ran speaker outputs from the HU (long story, but my amps were back ordered and I used the HU amplifier for a while).

14. Crossovers: I stuck my door speaker crossovers under the passenger seat so I can get to them (they have a tweeter adjustment) and so they would not get rattled every time the door closed. Not fastened down, just stuck back there on the floor.

15. Rear Speakers: I had installed Infinity 652i rear speakers to replace the crappy stock speakers. I hooked them up to my HU and they sounded so bad compared to my CDT fronts that I disconnected them.

16. General Installation Issues: Get a large bottle of Advil ready...there is a lot of bending, stooping, crawling, and scooting around on your back involved...but then, I'm nearing 50! I used a towel to kneel on while working on the floors and used a "pickle bucket" to sit on while I worked on the doors.

17. Seats: Mine are electric. There are two connectors on the driver's seat and one on the passenger seat. The connectors are locked together with barbs like most of the other connectors on the car. They will come apart without breaking, just be careful, study the connector carefully, and use a small screwdriver to pry on the barb holders. They are also attached to the seat with a sliding connector that is very firmly attached. I slid the connector off of the seat part. The seats unbolt easily (I did the rear bolts first, then slid the seat back to do the fronts) and are not too heavy, but cover the door sills with towels to keep from scratching them. The front bolts are under some plastic covers that snap off with some gentle persuasion (they are a bit fragile).

18. Wires: Maybe I'm paranoid, but I marked all of the wire ends with labels (right front speaker, etc.) and I used a continuity checker to verify all of the wires after crimping (or soldering) and taping them. Pretty soon you have a lot of wires lying all over the place. The continuity checker was useful when the radio wouldn't power up and I used it to figure out that the ignition power was not hot (explained above). A spare stiff wire is handy to fish wires up through the back of the dash and into the doors through the accordion tubes.

19. Loose Parts and Tools: I separately bagged groups of nuts, fasteners, trim, etc. for each area - keeping each subassembly together helps get it back together. DO NOT SET DOWN ANY TOOLS OR PARTS UNDER THE HOOD - you will just knock them off and they will fall under the battery or you may leave them under there!!! Just put a snack tray or card table or something next to you and set tools down on it. I also tried to periodically pick up all the loose tools lying around and I kept them in a cardboard box for re-use (yes, I was too lazy to roll my toolbox out to the car).

20. Amp Mounting: I mounted my two amps on the back wall between the hatch latches (I have a coupe). I tried to epoxy wood strips to the back wall, but the surface is curved and it would not stick...I gave up and drove three screws through each 2" x 23" 1/2" MDF board...the thought of the amps landing in the front seat after a wreck did not appeal to me and the holes will be forever behind the carpet...

<note: I recently had a 25 mph head-on accident and my amps pulled loose from the back wall...so mount them FIRMLY>

Let me just finally say that I could not have done this without the extensive help I got from this forum...THANKS!!!

Perhaps I've missed it, but I've read through this thread several times, and haven't found a "checklist" of things to have to install an aftermarket deck while retaining the stock Bose speakers and amps.

I'll start this part of the FAQ and feel free to copy/edit my post to complete the missing parts.

What parts do I need to install and aftermarket head unit (CD player) and retain the Bose speakers and amps?

1. A mounting adapter that converts the 1.5 DIN slot (where can these be purchased online?) Does the VrumVrum plate function as the entire adapter or just a "cover up" to make everything look better?

2. A wiring adapter to interface the high-power signal from the head unit to the with the Bose amplifiers for the "subs" in the doors. (Soundgate - GMCRV1)

3. An antenna adapter (where can these be purchased online?)

4. A head unit (obviously)

I'll be willing to take pictures of anything and everything when I do the installation.

Perhaps I've missed it, but I've read through this thread several times, and haven't found a "checklist" of things to have to install an aftermarket deck while retaining the stock Bose speakers and amps.

I'll start this part of the FAQ and feel free to copy/edit my post to complete the missing parts.

What parts do I need to install and aftermarket head unit (CD player) and retain the Bose speakers and amps?

1. A mounting adapter that converts the 1.5 DIN slot (where can these be purchased online?) Does the VrumVrum plate function as the entire adapter or just a "cover up" to make everything look better?

2. A wiring adapter to interface the high-power signal from the head unit to the with the Bose amplifiers for the "subs" in the doors. (Soundgate - GMCRV1)

3. An antenna adapter (where can these be purchased online?)

4. A head unit (obviously)

I'll be willing to take pictures of anything and everything when I do the installation.

Can I add an ipod or other aux device to my stock head unit?
Yes, if you don't have a cd changer you can purchase an ipod interface from companies such as pac-audio (ipod2car). If you have a cd changer and don't want to toss it aside, powerdoc has figured out a cool way to keep the cd changer while integrating an aux input: http://www.pqtsi.com/sedona/vetmp3.pdf

This link isn't working. Is this info available elsewhere? I'm specifically interested in hooking up a portable XM unit to my CD changer.

It's been a long time since i've looked at the cd changer harness so you'll have to use some common sense when splicing. but basically you are going to 'hijack' the audio lines in the harness, to figure these out they should be the four wires that match another wire. they may be grey and white and matching grey with black stripe and white with black stripe. these are the audio inputs. you need to cut these wires and hook them up to the relay so that when there isn't any power going to the switching post those wires are connected. now you have four more posts on the relay, this will be for the r+, r-, l+, l- leads from your rca or mini stereo jack. hook these up so when the relay is switched those leads are connected to the leads that go to the radio (from the harness)

after that, you just have to wire 12v+ to a switch that is connected to the switching post on the relay.

the one catch is that you must have a cd in the magazine in order for the aux button on the h/u to work. The reason for this is that there is one wire in the harness that is a signal wire. it tells the h/u that there is a cd playing in the changer and to keep it in 'aux' mode'

i hope this is clear. pm me or post here if i need to make things clearer.